But this isn’t just some facialist tinkering with a holistic hobby. Holey, who recently opened her San Francisco treatment center (her first permanent space) after time in Paris and New York, has been written up in publications such as Vogue and W, and has an A-list client roster on both coasts for good reason. She’s one of only a few facialists in the world to perform the Buccal technique, an inner-mouth massage said to promote blood circulation and lymphatic drainage, among other benefits.

Holey discovered the technique in France, where she undertook a two-year apprenticeship with renowned Parisian biochemist-facialist Joëlle Ciocco and studied at the prestigious ISIPCA (Institut Supérieur International des Parfums, Cosmétiques et Arômes Alimentaires).

She now divides her time between Los Angeles, New York and S.F.; I was lucky enough to snag a appointment at her new studio to learn more.

A treatment with Holey begins with a very personal consultation. She wants to know everything: your skin history, what you eat, how you sleep, how you move your bowels, your menstrual cycle. Holey admits that one of the reasons she got into this business was to seek answers on both a micro and macro level. “I am constantly looking at patterns and trying to draw conclusions for my clients and on a broader level,” says the native of Ojai (Ventura County). “The skin is so tricky and has so many contributing factors.”

Skincare pioneer Kristina Holey prepares for her client at her spa in San Francisco, Calif., on Thursday, October 8, 2015. botanical serum

Photo: Liz Hafalia, The Chronicle

At ISIPCA, Holey focused on “pure plant extracts and their effects on skin anatomy and wellness.” Now, as “a little side thing,” Holey takes courses on plant-based medicine at the American College of Healthcare Sciences based in Portland, Ore., and is working toward a master’s degree in herbal medicine. From the consultation, she determines that my spiking cortisol levels may be causing my sleepless nights and red, inflamed skin.

I am planted in front of the bubbling beakers, which are actually part of a Bol d’Air Jacquier oxygen inhalation machine. I breathe in the oxygen spiked with essential oils extracted from pine trees, which gives an instant antioxidant boost. (Holey later e-mails me an abstract to the study that discusses its benefits.)

After three minutes of blissful breathing, I am led back to the reclining treatment bed where I began my sensory journey. Holey cleans and treats my skin with bespoke cleansers and masks that she makes during the treatment from things like honey, blue chamomile, hemp seed and jojoba oils, manganese and marine collagen.

My eyes begin to close as Holey massages oil into my face, but fly open when I hear the snap of rubber gloves. Holey begins the Buccal technique, massaging my face from the inside out. “I work primarily with the cheeks and lips, with a lot of work on the jaw,” Holey says as my own jaw begins to relax from her rhythmic touch. “We are irrigating the tissues in the skin, stimulating the muscles. It’s basically a reverse workout for the face. The results are really there.”

After the massage, Holey applies several custom masks to calm my sensitive skin and finishes with a custom Chinese herbal concoction (made by her acupuncturist) for my broken-out chin. She uses Marie Veronique redness serum, In Fiore Nourrit and Calme oils, and Keys sunscreen.

When I reluctantly get up from Holey’s treatment bed she gives me a small glass vial. “Here, drink this,” she instructs. It’s Isotonic marine plasma, a salty elixir of trace minerals meant to replenish my sluggish system’s vitality. Less than 24 hours after treatment, I receive a lengthy document from Holey, summarizing her findings and suggestions, with her lifestyle, nutrition and product recommendations, sample meal plans and recipes. “My approach is 100 percent long term,” she says. “I’m not about Band-Aids.”